Going for Gold a Third Time

An Interview with ZEKE THURSTON

Rodeo Life: How has the rodeo life and competing been different since starting a family and having your kids Lucy and Hardy? Do you hope they get involved in rodeo one day?

Zeke Thurston: It makes me want to go home a lot more and that makes you not want to leave home, but they love it, and when you get to take them with you, that’s even better. That's how I grew up and I honestly don't think there's any other better way to grow up.

Rodeo itself is a great big family and when you share that with your kids, it's very special. Whether I win, lose, or draw they are there. They don't care, they are there to cheer you on so it's pretty fun.

I would sure enjoy it if they did, but if they choose to go a different direction in life, I’m 100% supportive. As long as they put 100% effort into whatever they want to do, I'll be satisfied.

RL: How was it navigating the rodeo world through COVID-19 last year? How have things been this year still dealing with COVID-19?

ZT: It was difficult to be honest. It made it really hard to come home. The borders were closed which made it so that we couldn't see our families. There really was no plus side to it. They cancelled a lot of rodeos because of it, but we made it. It was hard on a lot of people and made it tough.

We went to a lot rodeos that I'd never been to and probably never would have gone to so that part of it was fun. It was neat to go to the smaller rodeos. This year went pretty well. Everything kind of went back normal and we just went back to our old routine. We have this little trail that we make and we just followed that again as normal. We didn't get back to any of the ones that we hadn't been to before, but maybe one day we might.

ZEKE THURSTON RL: This will be your seventh consecutive WNFR qualification. What have you learned from your previous appearances to help you prepare for this one? Are you bringing any new techniques or strategies to the arena this year?

ZT: I just go try my guts out and try as hard as I possibly can and put in maximum effort. That's all you can do. As far as learning anything from it, I've been there and I've had awesome Finals and I've been there and had terrible Finals. All I know is that anything can happen out there. You just go out there and do your best to roll with the punches and if it works out, that's great. It's easy to get caught up in all the bright lights and what's going on but you have to remember at the end of the day, it's the same horses you've been getting on all year. Like my dad always told me, just dance with the girl that brought you, so that's what I usually do.

RL: How do you stay mentally focused knowing that one 8-second ride could make or break your spot not only in the World Standings, but your chance at winning another World Champion Title?

ZT: That is where it gets tough. That in itself is way harder than riding any bronc that walks this earth. I've seen some of the most talented guys in the world that just can't break the mental barrier. It's hard and sad to see, but you just have to get through it. I've been pretty lucky that way; I try to keep it pretty loose and cool. I get to ride broncs for a living and that's about as awesome of a job as you could have. There are people that aren’t as fortunate; people who are born without the use of their legs, or into sickness, or whatever the situation may be, so I'm pretty lucky to get to do what I do and I am always grateful for each ride. I try my hardest and if doesn’t work out at one rodeo, there's another rodeo somewhere else down the line.

RL: What was it like winning your second World Champion Title in 2019? Did it feel differently than winning your first? What is your ultimate goal for your rodeo career?

ZT: They were two totally different World Titles. The first one I came from way behind – I probably really wasn't even supposed to win it. Jacobs had it wrapped up. All he had to do was score, but he missed his horse out and I ended up winning it. The second one I went in as second in the World, and I won the first round. I won three rounds and had the lead from the third round on or something, and that night's round I had to ride and place pretty deep in the round to g

PRCA Photo by Clay Guardipee

sew it up. That's probably the most nervous I've ever been getting on. Not because it was the last horse, but I just knew if I did my job there, The World was mine to win. I won the round and after that they couldn't catch me. So, two totally different scenarios. With that being said, every year except for last, I’ve had myself in the position to win a World Title. In 2017, I went in second in the World behind Jacobs and I got really sick out there and I rode horrible. I think I placed the first round and that was maybe the only check I got. It didn't go well at all. In 2018, it came down to the 10th round. Wade definitely had the upper hand, but there's always a chance for the other guys to mess up and if you do your job and there was a chance it could have been mine. But I fell off in the 10th round, so that one didn't work out either. But that's rodeo.

I want to win as much as I can and be as successful as I can be. Ultimately, my goal when I'm done with rodeo is to have people remember me as a good guy and as a friend. I hope to make a difference on the sport and try to leave an impact on it. Rodeo is so fun and has such a great group of people. I have friends all over the entire world because of rodeo. But as far as winning, everybody wants to win. Every time I nod my head, I expect myself to win.

RL: How long does 8 seconds really feel when you are bucking on some of the industry’s strongest broncs?

ZT: Sometimes it feels pretty long especially when you’re out of shape and fighting just to make it. On other horses, if you've got a really good seating, it's really bucking, and you're making a perfect ride on it, you don't want to the whistle to go, you don't want it to end. But that's the fun of it: You never truly figure it out, I don't think.

RL: What about Saddle Bronc Riding drew you in as opposed to Bareback or Bull Riding?

ZT: I rode bulls throughout high school and I really enjoyed Bull Riding, but my dad rode broncs and had a pretty successful career. He went to the Finals six times and I had a good coach at home.

I got hurt Bull Riding and I couldn't ride bulls or broncs for a while. But while I was hurt, I put effort into riding the spur board and things like that. When I did come back to riding bulls and broncs again, the bronc riding started clicking and getting better. Before that, Bull Riding came naturally and it was easy for me and I was going to be a Bull Rider but once I got the bronc riding figured out a little better, I realized that it doesn’t hurt me as badly and I can get on a lot more of them.

RL: Is there any particular horse you’re hoping to draw this year at the WNFR?

ZT: They're all good, every horse who goes there. There are some special horses out there. I'd really like a crack at Wild Cherry, the way that she bucks she’s hard to get cleared out.

RL: What is it like representing Canada in the Thomas and Mack Center?

ZT: It's really cool. Canada is quite smaller of a rodeo world and confined more to Alberta. The fans that do come out to support you, support you online, or they are sitting at home watching you, they're the biggest fans that you'll have. They will be in the Thomas and Mack waving their Canadian flags. It's pretty cool. We usually show up with somewhere around 8 or 10 contestants representing Canada and we get to take a picture with the Canadians in front of the bucking chutes; I buy one every year. I'm very proud of those pictures and I’m very proud of my fellow Canadian competitors. This year we're going to have 6 maybe 7 Canadian bronc riders, so that's going to be really exciting.

RL: Is there any rodeo that you haven’t won yet that is on your “To Win” list?

ZT: I haven't won Cheyenne or Pendleton and I would really like to win both of those because of the tradition and hype behind them and how prestigious they both are. It would be pretty special to win those rodeos.

RL: What advice do you have for aspiring Saddle Bronc riders?

ZT: Whatever it is that you want to do, get out there and get around the right people that know what they're talking about, what they're doing, and spend as much time with them as you can and just apply yourself. Give it all your time and attention and you’ll go places. Work will out beat talent any day.

RL: Was there anyone when you were first starting your Saddle Bronc career that showed you the ropes?

ZT: I was pretty lucky that I had my dad. I had one of the best coaches right at home. My dad went to the Finals six times, so he knew what he was doing. He got us nice practice horses. He put on a lot of Bronc Riding schools, and still does, so we were in controlled environments all the time. We had good pick-up men, had our saddles set up correctly, we got ride the spur board, the bucking machine, and the drop barrel. We had all the stepping stones and preparation of getting on a live Bronc, so when we did get on a live bronc it wasn't going to wreck us out or get us hurt. I think that's the best way to go about it. It keeps you interested and keeps you craving it.

RL: Is there anything about Saddle Bronc Riding or the rodeo industry in general that you would like people to know?

ZT: Like I said earlier, rodeo is a big family. You will meet your best friends and have so many close relationships because of rodeo. There have been a lot of families started because of rodeo; my dad met my mom because of rodeo and that's the case for a lot of people. It is one big family itself. There are so many great people involved in rodeo and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

PRCA Photo by Clay Guardipee